Topic: ADHD and Reading

10-second review: Four suggestions for encouraging ADHD and Dyslexic children to read.

Title: “Rick Riordan on Four Ways to Get ADHD Kids to Read.” Rick Riordan. Wall Street Journal (October 15, 2010), Internet.

Rick Riordan is a writer. His suggestions for encouraging ADHD and Dyslexic kids to read are as follows:

. Model reading at home: “If the parents are too busy to read, it’s a safe bet the children will feel the same way. Set aside time for family reading each night.” Demonstrate to the children that reading is a valuable part of their daily routine.

. Match your children with the right books. “By the ‘right’ books, I mean the ones that will leave them wanting to read more.”

. Create a productive environment for reading. Few distractions. Reading with music or TV is not a good idea.

. Keep the long view. “Your child will grow up to be a successful person.” ADHD and dyslexia are differences, not disabilities. A number of millionaires are dyslexics.

Riordan concludes with these sentences: “Take it from this dad. It seems like just yesterday my son was hiding under the table to avoid reading. Now, he’s writing books longer than mine!”

Comment: The hardest part will be modeling reading with the family and reading without the distractions of music and TV. RayS.